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Best American Express credit cards in Canada
Compare the best American Express card picks below to find the best fit for your lifestyle and budget.
Card Types
The best American Express credit card for you will depend on what type of benefits you want and how much you’re willing to pay. We’ve compared dozens of the best Amex credit cards in Canada to help you make the best choice. Compare the pros and cons of specific cards and learn more about our top picks below.
Best for cash back
Best for no annual fee
Best for low interest
Best for Aeroplan points
Best for Air Miles
Best for everyday rewards
Best for luxury hotel perks
Best business card
What are the best American Express credit cards in Canada?
- SimplyCash Preferred Card from American Express: Best Amex card for cash back
- SimplyCash Card from American Express: Best Amex card for no annual fee
- American Express Essential Credit Card: Best Amex card for low interest
- American Express Aeroplan Card: Best Amex card for Aeroplan points
- American Express AIR MILES Platinum Credit Card: Best Amex card for Air Miles
- American Express Cobalt Card: Best Amex card for everyday rewards
- Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card: Best Amex card for luxury hotel perks
- American Express Business Edge Card: Best Amex card business card
Best for cash back
SimplyCash Preferred Card from American Express
700
Min. credit score
Min. credit score
$99
Annual fee
Annual fee
Up to
2%
Cash back
Cash back
10%
Welcome offer
Welcome offer
The SimplyCash Preferred Card from American Express offers a solid 2% cashback return on all purchases for a reasonable annual fee. You'll also get a generous 10% cashback welcome bonus when you sign up and you won't have to pay additional fees to add cards to your account. This card also comes with benefits such as purchase protection and comprehensive travel insurance.
- Welcome offer. Collect 10% cashback on all purchases in your first four months.
- High cash back return Earn 10% cash back on all purchases once your welcome offer expires (with no caps on how much you can earn).
- Comprehensive benefits. Take advantage of benefits such as travel medical, flight and baggage delay insurance, car rental coverage and purchase protection.
- Annual fee You'll have to pay $99 per year to maintain this card.
- Cap on welcome offer You can only earn up to $ with the 10% cashback welcome offer.
| Annual Fee | $99 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 19.99% fixed |
| Balance transfer APR | N/A |
| Welcome offer | Earn 10% cash back on all eligible purchases (up to $400 in cash back) for the first four months of Cardmembership. |
| Rewards | Earn 2% cash back on all eligible card purchases. |
Best for no annual fee
SimplyCash Card from American Express
700
Min. credit score
Min. credit score
$0
Annual fee
Annual fee
Up to
1.25%
Cash back
Cash back
2.5%
Welcome offer
Welcome offer
The SimplyCash Card from American Express is a basic no-fee card that lets you earn 1.25% cashback on all purchases (and 2.5% in your first three months). You'll also get basic insurance such as purchase protection, extended warranty coverage and common carrier insurance when you sign up.
- No annual fee. Pay no annual fee to maintain this card.
- Decent cashback for a no-fee card You'll earn a 1.25% cash back return on all purchases with this card, plus 2.5% in your first three months.
- Basic benefits. Take advantage of basic insurance such as purchase protection and extended warranty for no additional fee.
- Cap on welcome offer You can only earn up to $ with the 2.5% welcome offer.
- No travel benefits This card doesn't come with additional benefits such as travel medical, car rental insurance or trip/baggage delay insurance.
| Annual Fee | $0 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 19.99% fixed |
| Balance transfer APR | N/A |
| Welcome offer | Earn 2.5% cash back on all eligible purchases in your first three months (up to a maximum spend of $6,000, or $150 in cash back). |
| Rewards | Earn 1.25% cash back on all eligible purchases. |
Best for low interest
American Express Essential Credit Card
700
Min. credit score
Min. credit score
$0
Annual fee
Annual fee
n/a
Rewards
Rewards
n/a
Welcome offer
Welcome offer
The American Express Essential Credit Card gives you a 12.99% interest rate for purchases and cash advances (which is around 7% lower than a traditional credit card). Due to its low interest rates, this card doesn't offer rewards or cashback. However, it does come with basic insurance such as purchase protection, extended warranty and common carrier insurance. You can also sign up with the Amex Plan It program to pay your balance off in regular monthly installments.
- Low interest. You'll only pay 12.99% interest for purchases and cash advances with this card.
- Basic benefits. Get basic insurance such as purchase protection and extended warranty for no additional fee.
- No rewards or cash back You won't earn rewards or cash back with this card since you get a low interest rate.
- Few benefits You can't take advantage of extra benefits such as travel insurance or car rental coverage with this card.
| Annual Fee | $0 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | intro for the first first 6 months (then from 12.99% fixed) |
| Balance transfer APR | N/A |
| Welcome offer | N/A |
| Rewards | N/A |
Best for Aeroplan points
American Express Aeroplan Card
700
Min. credit score
Min. credit score
$120
Annual fee
Annual fee
Up to
2x
Miles
Miles
15,000
Miles welcome offer
Miles welcome offer
The American Express Aeroplan Card offers a solid return on Aeroplan Points for travel and dining. You'll earn 2 points for Air Canada purchases, 1.5 points for dining/food delivery and point for everything else. You can also take advantage of a 15,000 points bonus offer along with a free companion pass when you spend a certain amount in your first year. This charge card also comes with a full suite of travel insurance (but doesn't include travel medical).
- High return on Aeroplan Point Earn between and 2 Aeroplan Points for every dollar you spend.
- Welcome offer Collect up to 15,000 Aeroplan Points plus get a bonus companion pass when you spend a certain amount on your card.
- Comprehensive benefits Take advantage of benefits such as flight and baggage delay insurance, car rental coverage and purchase protection.
- Annual fee You'll have to pay $120 per year to maintain this card.
- Must be paid off every month Your balance has to be paid off every month or you'll pay 30% interest on purchases.
- No travel medical You won't get travel medical insurance included with this card.
| Annual Fee | $120 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 30% fixed |
| Balance transfer APR | N/A |
| Welcome offer | Earn up to 15,000 Welcome Bonus Aeroplan points and a bonus Buddy Pass as a new cardmember. Earn 9,000 Aeroplan points and a bonus Buddy Pass for an eligible round-trip flight within North America after spending $1,500 in purchases within the first three months of Cardmembership. Plus, earn 1,000 Aeroplan points for each monthly billing period where you spend $500 in purchases for the first six months of Cardmembership (up to a total of 6,000 Aeroplan points). |
| Rewards | Earn 2x the points on eligible purchases made directly with Air Canada and Air Canada vacations, 1.5x the points on eligible dining and food delivery purchases and 1x the points on everything else. |
Please note: All information about American Express Aeroplan Card has been collected independently by Finder and this product is not available through this site.
Best for Air Miles
American Express AIR MILES Platinum Credit Card
700
Min. credit score
Min. credit score
$120
Annual fee
Annual fee
Up to
1x
Miles
Miles
2,000
Miles welcome offer
Miles welcome offer
The American Express AIR MILES Platinum Credit Card offers a solid return on Air Miles for everyday purchases. You'll earn 1 Air Mile for every $5 you spend on groceries, dining, gas and transit (plus Mile for every $10 you spend on everything else). You'll also enjoy 2,000 bonus Air Miles when you sign up and spend a certain amount of money in a certain time frame. This card also comes with purchase protection, extended warranty coverage, travel accident insurance and car rental insurance.
- Decent return on Air Miles Earn 1 Air Mile for every $5 you spend on everyday purchases.
- Welcome offer Collect up to 2,000 Air Miles when you spend $1,500 in your first three months.
- Annual fee You'll have to pay $120 per year to maintain this card.
- Few benefits This card doesn't come with comprehensive travel insurance such as travel medical, flight/baggage delay or hotel burglary insurance.
| Annual Fee | $120 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | intro for the first first 6 months (then from 20.99% fixed) |
| Balance transfer APR | N/A |
| Welcome offer | Earn a Welcome Bonus of 2,000 AIR MILES when you spend at least $1,500 in eligible purchases within the first three months. That’s enough to redeem for $200 towards your purchases with AIR MILES Cash. |
| Rewards | Earn 1 AIR MILE for every $5 spent on eligible food, drink, gas and transit purchases (up to an annual spend of $30,000), and earn 1 AIR MILE for every $10 spent on all other eligible purchases (and after the $30,000 annual spend) |
Best for everyday rewards
American Express Cobalt Card
700
Min. credit score
Min. credit score
$120
Annual fee
Annual fee
Up to
5x
Membership Rewards
Membership Rewards
30,000
Welcome offer
Welcome offer
The American Express Cobalt Card offers a generous return on points for everyday purchases. You can collect 5 points for every dollar you spend on dining out plus 2 points for gas and transit purchases and point for everything else. This card also comes with up to a 30,000 points welcome bonus if you spend a certain amount of money each month. You'll also get a full suite of travel insurance and purchase protection when you sign up.
- Welcome offer Earn up to 30,000 points in your first few months when you spend a certain amount of money.
- Accelerated rewards Collect a higher return on rewards when you make dining, gas and transit purchases.
- Comprehensive benefits Take advantage of benefits such as travel medical, flight and baggage delay insurance, car rental coverage and purchase protection.
- Annual fee You'll have to pay $120 per year to maintain this card.
| Annual Fee | $120 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 19.99% fixed |
| Balance transfer APR | N/A |
| Welcome offer | Earn up to 30,000 bonus Membership Rewards points. In your first year as a new Cobalt Cardmember, earn 2,500 points for each monthly billing period in which you spend $500 on your card (for a total of 30,000 points in a year). |
| Rewards | Earn 5 Membership Rewards points per $1 spent at eligible grocery stores, restaurants, bars, cafés and food delivery services, 2 points per $1 spent at eligible gas stations, and on transit and travel purchases, and 1 point per $1 spent elsewhere. |
Best for luxury hotel perks
Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card
700
Min. credit score
Min. credit score
$120
Annual fee
Annual fee
Up to
5x
Membership Rewards
Membership Rewards
60,000
Welcome offer
Welcome offer
The Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card lets you earn accelerated rewards for staying at Marriott Bonvoy properties. You can also take advantage of a 60,000 points welcome bonus when you sign up as long as you spend $1,500 in your first three months. As an added benefit, this card comes with hotel perks such as an annual free one night stay and a complimentary upgrade to Silver Elite status. You'll also get a full suite of travel insurance and purchase protection when you sign up.
- Welcome offer Earn up to 60,000 points in your first few months when you spend a certain amount of money.
- Accelerated rewards Collect a higher return on rewards when you make dining, gas and transit purchases.
- Comprehensive benefits Take advantage of benefits such as travel medical, flight and baggage delay insurance, car rental coverage and purchase protection.
- Annual fee You'll have to pay $120 per year to maintain this card.
| Annual Fee | $120 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 19.99% fixed |
| Balance transfer APR | N/A |
| Welcome offer | Earn 60,000 Welcome Bonus points after you charge $3,000 in your first three months of Cardmembership. Plus, get a $120 statement credit when you charge $10,000 on your card in your first twelve months of card membership. Terms apply. |
| Rewards | Earn 5 points per $1 spent at participating Marriott properties and 2 points on all other spending. Terms apply |
Best business card
American Express Business Edge Card
700
Min. credit score
Min. credit score
$99
Annual fee
Annual fee
Up to
3x
Membership Rewards
Membership Rewards
45,000
Welcome offer
Welcome offer
The American Express Business Edge Card lets you earn a high return on points for eligible business purchases. You'll get 3 points for every dollar you spend on dining, gas and business supplies (plus point per dollar for everything else). This card also comes with a welcome bonus worth up to 45,000 points, plus an extra 1000 points for every month you spend $3,000 or more. You'll also get purchase protection, extended warranty coverage and car rental insurance when you sign up.
- Welcome offer Earn up to 45,000 points in your first three months when you spend a certain amount of money.
- Accelerated rewards for business purchasesCollect 3x the points when you make eligible business purchases (including gas, dining and business supplies).
- Comprehensive benefits
- Annual fee You'll have to pay $99 per year to maintain this card.
- Limited benefitsYou won't get additional benefits such as travel medical, baggage/trip delay insurance or common carrier insurance with this card.
| Annual Fee | $99 |
|---|---|
| Purchase APR | 19.99% variable |
| Balance transfer APR | N/A |
| Welcome offer | Earn up to 57,000 Membership Rewards points in your first year. Earn 45,000 Welcome Bonus points when you charge $5,000 in purchases to your Card in your first three months, and earn 1,000 Membership Rewards points each month (a total of 12,000 annually) when you spend a minimum of $3,000 on eligible purchases. |
| Rewards | Earn 3 Membership Rewards points for every $1 spent on eligible business essentials including office supplies, electronics, rides, gas, eats and drinks (up to an annual earn of 75,000 Membership Rewards), and earn 1 Membership Reward point for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases. |
What's in this guide?
Compare American Express credit cards
Use the table below to compare Amex cards in Canada.
How do I choose the best American Express credit card?
Compare the following features to find the best card for your needs:
- Return on points or cash back. Find out what kind of return you’ll get on cash back or points when you spend money on your card (and in which categories).
- Welcome offers. Compare the bonus offers for several American Express cards as these can sometimes give you a year’s worth of points or more.
- Perks and benefits. Figure out which benefits and perks you think you’ll actually use and get the card that aligns best with your lifestyle.
- Interest rates. Decide whether you will likely carry an outstanding balance on your card and aim for the lowest interest rate possible if this is the case.
- Annual fee. Do a bit of math to figure out if paying an annual fee is worth the higher return you’ll get on points and benefits.
Types of American Express cards
American Express Canada offers a large selection of rewards cards such as Amex Points cards and frequent flyer cards. It also offers a small but mighty selection of cash back cards.
Amex Cash back cards
Amex offers two main cash back cards: the SimplyCash and the SimplyCash Preferred Card. The SimplyCash card may be a good fit for you if you don’t want to pay an annual fee and you don’t mind getting a lower cash back return and fewer benefits. Consider the SimplyCash Preferred Card if you would prefer comprehensive travel benefits and you can live with the $99 per year price tag.
Typical benefits of Amex cash back cards
- Cash back on everyday purchases. You’ll earn between 1.25% and 2% cash back on all of your purchases, depending on which card you pick.
- Generous welcome bonuses. Collect 2.5% cashback in your first 3 months with the SimplyCash Card and 10% in your first 4 months with the SimplyCash Preferred Card.
- No limits on cash back. There are no limits to how much cash back you can earn with either card (except for welcome bonus rates).
- Basic insurance. Both cards offer purchase protection, extended warranty and common carrier insurance (plus you’ll get travel insurance with the SimplyCash Preferred card).
American Express cash back cards
Amex Membership rewards cards
American Express offers a wide variety of membership rewards credit cards that let you earn Amex Points for every dollar you spend. The only Amex rewards card that comes with no annual fee is the Choice Card. The other three cards come with a comprehensive suite of benefits and an annual fee that varies between $120 and $699.
Typical benefits of Amex rewards cards
- Accelerated rewards. You’ll get an accelerated return on rewards for making dining, gas, transit or travel purchases (depending on which card you have).
- Large welcome bonuses. Membership rewards cards come with sizable welcome bonuses worth between 12,500 and 30,000 bonus points.
- Comprehensive travel benefits. You’ll get travel benefits such as travel medical, baggage insurance and car rental insurance with premium rewards cards.
American Express Travel and Membership Rewards cards
Amex Travel cards (frequent flyer and hotels)
American Express offers a wide selection of frequent flyer and hotel credit cards that will help you travel for less. It primarily offers basic and premium Aeroplan and Air Miles credit cards for frequent flyers. Amex also partners with Marriott Bonvoy to offer a premium card that rewards travellers who stay regularly with its luxury-brand hotels. Most premium travel cards also come with a wide array of travel benefits and a decent return on points.
Typical benefits of Amex travel cards
- Program-specific rewards. Earn a decent return on program-specific rewards such as frequent flyer points or Marriott Bonvoy points.
- Generous welcome bonuses. Earn between 500 and 65,000 bonus points or miles when you sign up, depending on which card you pick and how much you pay annually.
- Unique travel perks. Enjoy travel perks with certain premium cards such as airline credits, free companion passes, airport lounge access and more.
- Comprehensive travel insurance. Get comprehensive travel insurance with most premium travel cards.
Amex No Annual Fee cards
You can sign up for a limited range of fee-free cards with American Express. These cards tend to come with fewer benefits and a lower return on rewards in return for no annual fee. Amex offers a selection of cash back, membership rewards, low interest and Air Miles credit cards with no annual fee.
Typical benefits of Amex
- No annual fee. You won’t have to pay an annual fee with any of these cards.
- Decent return on rewards. You’ll earn a decent return on rewards and cash back in comparison to fee-free cards from other providers.
- Basic insurance. You’ll get purchase protection, extended warranty and common carrier insurance with the majority of Amex’s no annual fee credit cards.
- Many card types. You can get a fee-free version of almost every type of card that Amex offers (except for its Aeroplan and hotel credit cards).
Amex Small business cards
Amex offers some of the best business credit cards on the market, with an impressive range of benefits and rewards. It offers its business cards as either charge cards or credit cards and fees range from $0 to $599 per year. Many cards offer accelerated rewards for business expenses and the more expensive cards tend to come with a wide array of travel perks.
Typical benefits of Amex business cards
- Membership and travel rewards. Most Amex business cards let you earn membership points or program-specific rewards (such as Aeroplan, Air Miles and Marriott Bonvoy).
- Welcome offers. You can earn between 150 and 65,000 points when you sign up depending on which card you choose and how much you pay for your annual fee.
- Comprehensive travel insurance. Many of Amex’s more premium business cards come with a full suite of travel insurance (including travel medical, baggage/flight delay coverage and car rental insurance).
- Travel benefits. You can qualify for a handful of travel perks such as priority boarding and lounge access with a small selection of premium business cards.
American Express small business cards
- American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card
- American Express Business Edge Card
- American Express Business Gold Rewards Card
- Business Platinum Card from American Express
- Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card
- American Express AIR MILES for Business Card
- American Express AIR MILES Gold Business Card
Amex Credit cards with travel insurance
Typical card features and benefits of an American Express card
- American Express offers a number of products and services with its cards. These are branded as Amex benefits and apply to most credit cards across the board.
- Front of the line. Get pre-sale access and pick from reserved Amex seats for certain ticketed events (usually advertised on Amex website).
- Amex offers. Choose offers from brands you love and earn statement credits or bonus points for qualifying purchases.
- Hotel Collection. Stay two or more consecutive nights with participating properties and receive up to a US$100 hotel credit (only available with some credit cards).
- Fraud protection guarantee. Enjoy no-fault protection in case of fraudulent purchases made on your credit card.
- Emergency card replacement. Get a new card sent out to you as soon as you report your card missing or stolen, even if you’re travelling.
- 24/7 customer service. Call Amex at any time of day or night to get dedicated support with your account.
American Express rewards program
Amex offers membership rewards (also called Amex Points) as well as cash back. It also works with frequent flyer programs and hotels to let you earn points with specific loyalty programs. This table highlights which cards let you earn specific types of rewards.
| Personal cards | |
|---|---|
| Membership rewards | American Express Cobalt Card American Express Gold Rewards Card |
| Cash back | SimplyCash Card from American Express |
| Air Miles | American Express AIR MILES Credit Card |
| Aeroplan | American Express Aeroplan Card |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Marriott Bonvoy American Express Card |
| Business cards | |
|---|---|
| Membership rewards | American Express Business Edge Card |
| Air Miles | American Express AIR MILES for Business Card |
| Aeroplan | American Express Aeroplan Business Reserve Card |
| Marriott Bonvoy | Marriott Bonvoy Business American Express Card |
How to apply for an American Express credit card in Canada
You can apply for an American Express credit card online in around 10 minutes. You’ll just need to make sure you meet the eligibility requirements and have all the relevant documents on hand.
Eligibility criteria
To apply for an American Express credit card, you’ll need to meet the following criteria:
- Be at least 18 years old or the age of majority in your province or territory.
- Be a Canadian resident with a Canadian credit file.
- Own a business if you plan to apply for a business credit card.
- Information you will need for your application
If you meet the eligibility requirements, you’ll need to submit the following documents:
- Personal information. You’ll need to provide personal details including your full name, email address, phone number and residential address.
- Valid form of ID. You’ll need to supply a piece of government-issued ID such as your driver’s licence or a copy of your passport.
- Financial and employment information. You may be asked to provide tax documents, pay stubs or employment letters to show that you’re in a decent financial position and can make your repayments on time.
- Credit score. You could be required to submit to a credit check as a condition of getting approved for an American Express credit card.
Compare Amex credit cards and apply securely
American Express offers a variety of credit cards that cater to both individuals and business owners. Whether you are a frequent traveller, a small business owner or a big spender, there are credit cards to suit different lifestyles and spending habits. Be sure to compare your options before applying for a credit card, since there are so many different products on the market.
How does American Express keep my credit card information secure?
American Express protects your personal and financial information with physical and technical features. It encrypts any sensitive information you send online and will automatically log out of your account if it’s inactive for a certain period of time.
Fraud protection is also available and Amex will send you notifications about irregular or suspicious transactions on your account. It may also verify your identity before allowing you to make a purchase to confirm that you’re actually the one using the card.
Full list of American Express credit card reviews
Bottom line
American Express offers a number of different options for credit cards and charge cards. The right fit for you will depend on how much you want to spend, what type of benefits you want to get and whether you want to earn points or cash back. Find out more about which cards Amex offers and compare your options to find the best fit for you.
Frequently asked questions
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